Bitcoin users who help maintain the digital ecosystem's official record of transactions may soon find themselves required to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network as administrators of the alternative currency.

As the Isis mobile wallet comes out of pilot, it's important to note that not every emerging payments initiative makes it this far. But in experiments, any result can be valuable if the companies behind the test find something to learn from it.

The New York State Department of Financial Services issued subpoenas to 22 emerging payments players, including many that handle the digital currency Bitcoin, demonstrating that new payments models have not yet found their place in the eyes of the law.

New York’s banking regulator issued subpoenoas to about two dozen companies associated with bitcoin as it looks into the virtual-currency industry, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

A federal judge ruled that bitcoins are “a currency or form of money” and therefore subject to relevant U.S. laws in a case against a Texas man accused of creating a fraudulent Bitcoin hedge fund.

The Lamassu machine, a so-called Bitcoin ATM, is a rare device that makes it possible for the unbanked to obtain digital currency. It was invented by a pair of guitar-store proprietors who wanted to break into the payments industry — and are prepared to face the music when regulators take notice.

Bitcoin fanatics and skeptics met under the same roof at a recent event in New York. Now that the digital currency is recognized under guidance from Fincen and bitcoin users established a self-regulating organization, entrepreneurs and payments-industry veterans are finding some common ground.

Coinbase, a Bitcoin digital wallet provider, has launched a microtransactions feature to allow its customers to transfer small amounts between accounts for free.

A group of technology companies is working to build digital currencies into Web browsers, a move that could help payment methods such as Bitcoin thrive.

While many people think of Bitcoin as a currency, Jaron Lukasiewicz, CEO and co-founder of Coinsetter, says Bitcoin should be thought of more as a payments infrastructure, allowing quick, inexpensive funds transfer. But for Bitcoin to thrive, banks must agree with this perspective.

Leaders in emerging payments and virtual currency have formed a committee to establish a self-regulating body to ensure regulatory compliance as the marketplace changes.

Bitcoin, a decentralized virtual currency, has been declared illegal in Thailand. Members of the Foreign Exchange Administration and Policy Department made the determination at a meeting on July 29 in the Southeastern Asian country, according to a Bitcoin exchange operator in attendance.

India's consumers have everything they need to move away from cash—they're just waiting for the right catalyst, according to Visa's Sam Shawki.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued a Texas man over claims he operated a Ponzi scheme involving Bitcoin, the virtual currency that has recently attracted investors including Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss.

Shopkick now allows consumers to make purchases directly from its mobile app, which rewards consumers for visiting its merchant clients in-person.

The PayVest event in New York, presented by PaymentsSource, American Banker and NYPAY, brought together many key players in emerging payments and technology. Many of them are taking different paths to the future.

Prepaid card and technology provider InComm has launched an in-store digital sales program, allowing consumers to buy digital gift cards and other virtual items alongside physical ones at brick-and-mortar merchant locations.

Have you ever imagined starting your own bitcoin exchange? Soon, Vancouver-based Bex.io will make that possible by deploying exchange functionality under a Software as a Service (SaaS) model.

Kipochi, an African online service launched this month, is looking for a way to connect the digital currency Bitcoin to M-Pesa, Kenya's widely-used mobile payments system.

Bitcoin exchange Coinbase will offer instant purchases for users that supply identity information, with others having to wait four days for transactions to complete.